The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the crowd, a gasp cut through the chatter, and the crowd's attention snapped into focus.

Vivienne had fashioned the rare Rainbow Opal into not one but two stunning bracelets! Zelda gasped. “Vivienne, this... this is such extravagance!” The Rainbow Opal was precious, and to craft bracelets from it required so much of the material it was enough to make one’s blood run cold.

Even Zelda, who never cared for the cost of things, felt a pang of remorse.

But Vivienne seemed unfazed. Rainbow Opal? Her storage was brimming with them.

All gifts from Mr. Wolf! “Auntie, if you fancy, I'll have a matching jewelry set made for you tomorrow. The Rainbow Opal has so many colors, | had them all worked into these jade-like pieces. Looks rather regal, don’t you think?” Vivienne said with a grin.

Percival’s gaze remained fixed on Vivienne’s waist. “Hmm, anything Vivienne gifts is her own design, unique in the market.” That was when it dawned on everyone.

These bracelets were not just made of Rainbow Opal; they were the latest creations by the master jeweler, Jessica.

Jessica's designs had gone viral online, and owning one was extremely lucky.

Since that event with the Ellingtons, she had not designed a thing.

But now, she had personally designed these bracelets! Considering both the material and the designer, these ors were priceless treasures! Natalia and Yasmine slid the bracelets back onto their wrists, cherishing them immensely.

The pair draped themselves over Vivienne, cooing rather slyly, “Vivienne, can | cto you for all my jewelry needs from now on?” “Vivienne, make it two of each, okay? And in exchange, I'll treat you to a strawberry cheesecake!” At the mention of strawberry cheesecake, Vivienne nodded emphatically, “Deal! But it's two cheesecakes each time!” The word spread: To commission a piece from master Jessica, all it took was two strawberry cheesecakes! Dracon could never have imagined Vivienne possessed so much Rainbow Opal, much less that he had been parading a counterfeit! Where did that leave his family’s honor? How could he, Dracon, hold his head high among these people now? Diana could not even lift her gaze. She had spoken up to assert her status, unwittingly defending Dracon.

Now, everyone knew they had presented a fake! Mortified, Dracon slipped away while the crowd was distracted, keen to avoid further mockery.

Sharp-eyed Isolde called out, “Dracon, leaving so soon?” All eyes turned to him.

Dracon shot Isolde a venomous look—she was as irritating as her brother Percival.

Maddox scooped Isolde into his arms. “Isolde dear, let him go. The Perez family won't welchis kind anymore after he bullied your sister-in-law.” Maddox's stance was clear—the Perez family’s disapproval stemmed not from the counterfeit opal but from Dracon’s public slight against Vivienne.

“Mr. Linklater, no need for farewells,” Yuri chimed in, his gaze dark as he looked at Dracon.

Clenching his fists, Dracon had not anticipated such a humiliation; after all, their families were old acquaintances.

Richard approached and said, “Before you leave, apologize to my granddaughter-in-law. Otherwise, | will have to inquire with your family head just how our family offended the Linklaters to deserve such disrespect!” Jasper remained silent. His gaze on Dracon implied that an apology was non-negotiable if he wished to leave the Perez estate.

Cornered, Dracon, before the assembled crowd, offered a grudging apology to Vivienne, “My apologies, Ms.

Hawthorn, for my ignorance. | will visit soon to express my regrets personally.” Vivienne’s lips curved as she said word by word. “No, harm, done.” Yet as Dracon turned to leave, a subtle flick of Vivienne’s finger left him stiff-limbed yet outwardly unchanged.

He exited with an awkward, mechanical gait, inciting laughter from the audience.

Maddox could not resist a jab at Diana, “Aren't you going to escort your dear classmate out?” He had not forgotten Diana's earlier smugness! Diana, reluctantly, ushered Dracon out with hurried steps.

Jasper watched on. Diana was his charge; the pettiness she displayed earlier had not escaped his notice. With the unresolved issue of a prior poisoning attempt still in the air, Jasper’s anger simmered.

Diana nearly ran out in tears. As soon as Dracon stepped off the Perez property, his stiffness vanished.

Seeing Diana's tear-streaked face, Dracon felt a twinge of guilt. “I'm sorry, Diana. | didn’t expect it to be a fake. | bought it in haste from those jewelers without proper verification.” Diana was seething with resentment. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be in this mess. But as much as she despised him, she needed Dracon to navigate her current plight. After today’s debacle, her grandfather would surely hold her in even lower regard.

If she could manage to marry into the Linklater family, there might just be a sliver of hope for a turnaround.

“It’s not your fault. It's all because of that Vivienne. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be in this mess...” Diana dabbed at her tears, which served as a perfect veil for the disdain lurking in her eyes.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated for All Books Updates...

Seeing that Diana wasn't truly angry, Dracon’s heart settled. Holding her hand, he walked beside her, saying, “You're right. That Vivienne acts all high and mighty just because she’s charmed Jasper. She’s nothing but a fake, yet she struts around like she’s the Perez heiress?” Diana paused, and Dracon realized he might have misspoken. “Diana, that’s not what | meant. | mean, she’s not worthy, not like you. You grew up by Jasper’s side; she can’t compare to you!” “I know.” Diana forced a smile, although inside, she was cursing Dracon up and down! Dracon spent a lot of tsweet-talking Diana, and eventually, the tension between them eased.

However, they were oblivious to the stealthy footsteps inching closer behind them.

After a day filled with indulgence, Dracon and Diana managed to return to the Linklater estate before nightfall.

Yorick had already retired for the night, and Dracon slipped back to his room without a sound.

On a hilltop outside the Linklater estate, Karen was peering through a pair of binoculars so powerful she could tell if the Linklater’s dog had double eyelids or not.

All of Linklater’s elaborate security systems failed to track her.

Karen was not really interested in the dog's eyelids, of course. Her gaze was fixed on the only family portrait above the fireplace in the Linklater home.

Each face on the portrait bore a gentle smile.

But Karen's eyes were drawn to the face just behind Yorick'’s, staring for a long, long time.

It was him...